will
|
I find that mass, like isolation is variable and suspect in has to do with many things, not least of which, the level of vibration, the component design, the mass composition and surface relationship to the component...and whether it compliments the voicing. But generally, I think both can be good.
I use a 2lb rock on my Mac Mini, and with carbon feet, I definitely get a better sense of solidity and body. I have some of Herbie's Sonic Stabilizers on my DAC and remember liking this effect with a similar feeling.
I like Herbie's stuff in general. But I had vibration problems using a cabinet in an alcove behind my speakers to put gear in...I had resonance damping on shelves, cab walls and between shelves, hard fiberboard in it to chill/absorb the vibrations, and several bass traps and other absorption stuff built into the alcove, but Herbie's stuff improved things.
I don't know why, but I can hear everything, including location changes with the Iso-Cups under the Torii MkIII. HDJP that you (and your wife) can't hear the isolation when your amp is on the same surface as speakers, and can't hear a better cord, is definately worth lookiing into. I think you must have a bottle neck somewhere that is truncating your sound. May be speaker cables or ICs, your computer, or cables to the DAC. Are you using good software in your computer to cut off extraneous operations and as a player? Are you using a USB cable that isolates computer noise? Solving the problem (s), and being able to hear these things will make your music way better...the potential magic of Decware.
I have four of the older "high end" bases for the Iso-Cups, frosted silicone cup, and lampblack balls. I have tried the frosted Acrylic balls and find they sound good, but a little "plastic" and slightly unbalanced to me...leaner mids up, and a bit full in the bass. I keep trying, but end up finding the lampblack balls best for me...richer, balanced, and natural sounding. Location definitely matters though, and this could explain my not preferring the frosted balls to some degree. Who knows if I would like them in other locations, but I like the lampblacks where they are...under the center power tubes, and near the outside/back corners of the outside transformers.
I have used a couple sorbithane based feet, and they sound like they feel...sort of rubbery and veiled. I can't say why, but to my ear, there is no question at all that different feet sound different. I have four or five kinds and they all impart characteristic sounds.
But back to Herbie's...I use thick grungebuster cut from a sheet for cabinet shelf isolation, and to keep cables from the cabinet structure.
I use Fat Dots under the cabinet (here the difference was sort of subtle, but I had done a lot of isolation already... I did however keep them), and Little Fat gliders under HR-1s. At first I did not like these, sounding a little too smooth and warm, but more inner detail was there too...HMMMM..... if I recall correctly, later I realized the spikes sound a bit too hard and bright for me once I adjusted to the isolation, the gliders being more complete and less edgy (my floor is brick on sand, so the spikes were active with this mass).
Same sort of thing happened with RX tube dampers for me...first too "warm" and smooth, then I realized the bright edges were probably distortions....finally I got to really liking the subtle information that was under this. I use them on the inputs, rectifiers and power tubes, though like Lon, the power tubes have often left me on the fence....the undamped tubes seem a bit more textural, softer, and give more impression of brightness. Damped there is more solid/inner information, but it can get a little bit defined and a little too smooth/warm. I find that my current preference is in between for the power tubes...I damp them, but have the damper about half way down the glass. The most damping is roughly right on the top mica, so this sort of splits the difference between damping and not by my ear. Finally, I think this stuff can be a matter of degrees...if the gear is isolated well, then tubedampers become less of a thing, but I like them.
I tend not to prefer tenderfeet (they generally sound a little soft and warm to me...), I use the ones I have for my hard drive, and under my EQVOX USB power brick, though I do like them under my ZDAC...I use hardwood cones that come to a fine point under my Tranquility, but it is on top of the ZDAC, so the tenderfeet are isolating what the Tranquility is on.
I think the main thing between decoupling and isolating is they sound quite different, and presumably, to truly couple, It seems you need serious mass, and the mass is going to pull off certain frequencies. So I find isolation a little easier and like it...but I also use some half baked combinations and like it on some parts....Finally seems it must be a matter of the sound we like best.
|